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Rosacea
Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that mainly affects the face. It's more common in women and people with lighter skin, but symptoms can be worse in men. Treatment can help with symptoms.
Check if you have rosacea
The first signs of rosacea include
redness (blushing) across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin that comes and goes
a burning or stinging feeling when using water or skincare products
The redness may be harder to see on darker skin.
As rosacea gets worse, your cheeks, nose, skin and forehead will be red all the time
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Tiny broken blood vessels that do not go away may appear on your skin
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You may get small pink or red bumps. Sometimes these become filled with a yellowish liquid
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Other symptoms can include:
dry skin
swelling, especially around the eyes
yellow-orange patches on the skin
sore eyelids or crusts around roots of eyelashes – this could be blepharitis
thickened skin, mainly on the nose (usually appears after many years)
Triggers
It's not known what causes rosacea, but some triggers can make symptoms worse. Common triggers for rosacea include:
alcohol
spicy foods
cheese
caffeine
hot drinks
aerobic exercise like running
If you're not sure it's rosacea
Check what else it could be?
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
you think you have symptoms of rosacea
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
Urgent advice:
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111:
If you have rosacea and:
your eye is painful
your vision is blurred
you're sensitive to light
you have a red eye
your eye feels gritty
These could be signs of keratitis, which can be serious if not treated urgently.
Treatment for rosacea from a GP
Rosacea cannot be cured but treatment from a GP can help control the symptoms. It can get worse if it's not treated.
A GP may suggest:
prescriptions for creams and gels you put on your skin
taking antibiotics for 6 to 16 weeks
IPL (intense pulsed light) treatment – this may not be available on the NHS
The GP may refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist) if treatments are not working.
Things you can do to help
Rosacea is not caused by poor hygiene and it's not contagious. But there are things you can try to help with symptoms.
If you know that a trigger, for example alcohol or spicy food, makes symptoms worse, try to avoid it as much as possible.
Do
wear a high SPF sunscreen of at least SPF 30 every day
try to avoid heat, sunlight or humid conditions if possible
try to cover your face in cold weather
use gentle skincare products for sensitive skin
clean your eyelids at least once a day if you have blepharitis
take steps to manage stress
Don’t
do not drink alcohol
do not have hot drinks
do not have too much caffeine (found in tea, coffee and chocolate)
do not eat cheese
do not eat spicy food
do not do too much aerobic exercise, like running
Information:
Find out more
The charity Changing Faces can offer advice and support if you're feeling anxious or depressed.
Call the helpline on 0300 012 0275.
Changing Faces: Skin Camouflage Service
Video: Rosacea
This video describes symptoms, causes and treatment options for rosacea
Play Video
Media last reviewed: 1 July 2021
Media review due: 1 July 2024
Page last reviewed: 15 January 2020
Next review due: 15 January 2023
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